1. Field of the Invention
The present patent application refers to a wall flush mount supporting device for electric or electronic components, of the type commonly used in electric installations, such as, for example, control switches, electric sockets, thermostats, emergency lamps, etc.
2. Description of Related Art
The devices that are currently used to house and support the said components are characterised by standardized construction, according to which the components are supported by a plate (hereinafter defined as “component-holder plate”) screwed into a wall-recessed box that receives the wires of the chased electric installation.
The said box is made of plastic material and is provided with suitably weakened circular areas that can be easily removed to pass the electric wires that must be wired to the terminal boards of said electric or electronic components, whose body is practically contained inside the protection box.
As mentioned earlier, the component-holder plate is screwed into the front opening of the box, after recessing it into the wall in such a way that the opening is basically coplanar to the wall.
In view of the above, the front of the electric or electronic components remains visible on the front of the component-holder plate in the proximity of suitable control means or electric sockets.
For aesthetical reasons the component-holder plate is covered and hidden by an external finishing plate with one or more windows that exactly house the control means or electric sockets.
Regardless of the multiple designs of the finishing plates and component-holder plates, it must be said that all the available models are characterised in that the front of the components and relevant framing plate protrude from the installation wall, thus interrupting the clean design of the wall with a projecting element that can be hardly camouflaged or hidden.
For this reason, supporting devices have drawn the designers' attention who attempted to find new external shapes that can make installation easier and more attractive and to reduce the visual impact on the architecture of the room or furniture.
US patent application publication No. US2003/0089710 A1 describes an electrical box into which a one-piece recessed faceplate is inserted, said faceplate allowing for the adjustment of the distances between the outward surface of the electrical instrumentality installed into the electrical box and the flange positioned at the front of said faceplate.
Said faceplate comprising a flange which is flush against the front wall and a rear wall connected to each other by means of an interior surface attached to and projecting forward to rear wall which is provided with aperture for the accommodation of said electrical instrumentality the outward surface of which is flush against said aperture.
The back side of said front flange is designed to seat against the mounting surface of box.
Said front flange can be provided with a sliding cover which covers and completely hides said front flange.
This means that also said cover protrudes from the mounting surface of box.
Furthermore the presence of cover increases the size of the faceplate portion protruding from the mounting surface of box.